Divine Intervention
by CarolinaDawn
Summary: EC. Spoilers for 8.20. Calleigh gets divine intervention in the form of Tim Speedle when she nearly dies before she has the chance to tell Eric something she wishes she'd told him before.


The idea for this came to me after reading the spoilers for 8.20 and remembering the episode Bang Bang, Your Debt when Speedle came back to visit Eric. I thought to myself that if Calleigh were having an out of body experience, surely she too could have a visit from the ever lovable Tim Speedle, and what you read below is what became of that thought. Its not often that I can write stories so quickly, but once I sat down to write this, it just flowed and kept on coming and I couldn't stop. Its nearly 1am and I have to be up for work in a few hours, but Tim Speedle just wouldn't quit. And neither would Eric & Calleigh.

A special thank you to MomentarySetback for doing me a huge favor by staying up late, despite having her own diversion, to beta this for me and helping me with the title. You are the best!

Divine Intervention

With her hands at her temples, trying in vain to rub out the sudden headache, Calleigh stumbled out of the unisex bathroom and into the hallway. Moaning lightly, she dropped her hand to reach for the kit in her other hand, intending to extract her ever-present bottle of ibuprofen, when her eyes took in her surroundings, and her hand dropped to her side instead of onto the handle of her field kit.

"What... the... hell," she uttered in confusion, trailing off as she looked around, finding herself in the hallway of Dade Memorial Hospital (a place she knew too well unfortunately) and not the hallway of the house she'd been processing. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, and visitors milled about, not paying her any attention. Looking down, she noticed her field kit wasn't in her hand at all. Scrunching up her face in utter confusion because only moments ago she could have sworn she was at the crime scene and not here at the hospital, she quickly ran through what little evidence she'd found to figure out why she'd apparently felt the need to come here. Not finding an answer and still utterly confused, not to mention the fact that she was becoming mildly scared at her inability to remember how she'd gotten to the hospital, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to ten.

When she got to ten, she slowly opened her eyes... to the same thing; doctors and nurses milling about, no one paying her any attention. With a start, and with a great amount of relief, her eyes alighted on Eric, grateful he was heading her way.

Calleigh waited until he got closer before she called out to him. "Eric!" He must not have heard because he didn't even look her way. This time she waved her hand out in front of him, because he did seem to be hell bent on getting to wherever it was he was going... and just where was he going at the hospital anyway?

"Eric," she called out again, waving her hand. When he passed within inches of her without even acknowledging her presence she began to get worried, worried with a touch of anger. Surely he didn't just ignore her. There was no way he could be mad at her for anything, if the previous night and that morning had been any indication.

Dropping her arm to her side, she watched silently as he entered a room two doors down from where she stood. The look in his eyes as he'd passed her had been a mixture of sadness and fear (and she'd seen that look on his face before) and his gait as he walked had been one of a man on a mission, hell bent on getting to his destination. Fear began to settle within her as she realized the reason he was probably there; someone in his family was in the hospital. With trepidation she walked slowly toward the door he'd gone through, wondering if it was his mother or his father, or worse, one of his sisters again. _"God, no," _she thought to herself as she arrived at the door and peered through the small window.

She was mildly surprised to see Horatio standing next to Eric, both of their backs to her. But then, she realized with a slight smile, that was just like the Delko family to still consider him part of the family, and just like Horatio to want to be there... for whichever Delko it was. Only being Eric's girlfriend, she didn't feel as though she belonged there, so she remained standing where she was instead of entering the room to be with Eric.

Headache forgotten, she watched as the doctor that stood before them turned and began speaking. Her heart dropped when she saw Eric place his head in his hands, and it was when she noticed the almost imperceptible shake in his shoulders that she almost pushed the door open, wanting nothing more than to be with him, to wrap her arms around him. But just as she was about to shove the door open, the doctor moved away and she gasped, backing away from the door several steps in utter horror and confusion when she saw who was lying in the bed.

Calleigh's head was spinning. It wasn't possible, simply wasn't possible for the person lying in the bed to be herself. Shaking her head in denial she stepped to the door again, just in time to see Eric move to stand next to... her own self. Slowly it began to sink in what she was seeing and suddenly it all made sense. She'd been able to talk to Patrick at the crime scene because she was dead. Walter and Jesse hadn't ignored her at the crime scene and Eric hadn't ignored her in the hallway because she hadn't been at the crime scene, hadn't really been in the hallway; she'd been here in this hospital room... dead. She was dead. Deep and utter horror filled her as she realized she was dead and Eric once again lost someone he loved. She was dead and she'd never gotten to tell Eric that she...

No... she wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead because the ventilator at her side still moved air in and out of her lungs; she could visibly see her chest move up and down with the labored breaths she was taking. She could see Eric, holding her hand as he bent down to press a kiss to her forehead...

"That's you, isn't it?"

Calleigh's head whipped around, surprise in her watery eyes as her gaze landed on Patrick. This was just further proof she was dying ... because Patrick himself was undeniably already dead. Of that she was sure... she clearly remembered running into the burning house and finding his lifeless body on the second floor. "I'm... I'm dying, aren't I?" she whispered brokenly, clearly unable to say the words any louder. "Please tell me this is all just a dream," she finished plaintively.

Without waiting for an answer, she turned back toward the door, laying her hands on the window as she watched Eric bring her hand to his lips and place a lingering kiss on the back of her hand. Tears began to cloud her eyes as she witnessed him lean over her again, his hand reaching out to brush her hair back, his fingers repeatedly coming through her hair as he whispered words she couldn't hear, but in her heart she knew what they were. Horatio still stood at the back of the room, head bowed, sunglasses dangling from his fingertips, and she watched as he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if to keep himself from shedding any tears.

Suddenly the monitors by her bed began to beep loudly, shrilly, causing Eric to jump back in alarm, her hand still clutched within his as he stared in confusion at the monitors. Horatio turned just as suddenly, lunging for the door with a wild look in his blue eyes. Startled herself at all the sudden movement, she moved back from the door just as Horatio burst through, shouting for help as several doctors and nurses ran toward them. Once again she laid her palms against the glass window as she watched them trying to revive her, watched as tears fell unchecked down Eric's face, heard him as he pleaded with the doctors to save her, pleaded with her not to leave him, pleaded with God to let her live...

The room and everyone in it began to fade away as a white light slowly grew, until all she saw around her was white, nothing but white. There were no walls, no structures, and no people. Just a whiteness around her. "Heaven," she whispered, "This must be heaven." Realization sunk in and with it her heart sunk too. "No," she began to cry, "No, God, please... no." Heart pounding she closed her eyes, saying a heartfelt prayer to God and to anyone that wanted to listen that she please not be dead, she couldn't be dead... not yet, not until she told Eric -

"Calleigh."

Calleigh's eyes popped open at the very familiar voice, a voice she hadn't heard in years. Slowly she turned toward the sound, eyes widening as she took in the form walking slowly toward her. "Tim," she breathed, heart beginning to calm at the sight of her old friend.

Tim Speedle stood before her, hands in his pants pocket, wearing the same black slacks and blue shirt he had on the day he died, and the same cocky smile he'd always given her. "Calleigh Duquesne, what the hell are you doing here? It's not your time."

"I... I think I," she stammered, still not wanting to accept that she may be dead.

"Its not your time, Sunshine," he told her, drawing a smile from her lips at the use of an old nickname. "You need to go back."

She turned back toward where the hospital room had been, but saw nothing but the whiteness again. Turning back to Speedle, she did something she'd never done when he was alive... she began to shed tears in front of him. "I died, Tim... but I can't... I can't be dead," she told him, pain clearly visible in her watery green eyes and on her beautiful though troubled face. "Tim please," she pleaded. "I can't leave him, I can't leave Eric. He doesn't know yet. Eric doesn't know." Again she looked back to where the hospital would be and took several steps in that direction. "I never told him!"

Calleigh turned back around when she felt Speedle's hand on her shoulder. "He knows, Calleigh... he knows," he murmured as he looked pointedly at her and dried her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

Calleigh's eyes grew wide as she realized what he was saying, what he was acknowledging. "How... how did you know?" Then, despite herself and her current state, she chuckled wryly. "Of course, you're dead... you've been sitting up here in heaven... we are in heaven, right?" At his nod she continued, gesturing at the whiteness that surrounded them, "You've been sitting up here, watching me and Eric."

"Calleigh, Calleigh, Calleigh," Speedle murmured, shaking his head as if she were a truly clueless woman. "I knew all along you two had a thing for each other."

"No you di-"

"I could see it in your eyes," he told her, interrupting. "On Delko it was much more obvious, the way he looked at you when you weren't looking. The way he always traded assignments so he could work cases with you. The way he looked at the guys who gave you more than a passing glance. But with you, it was all in those pretty green eyes." He paused, taking her hand in his. "Why do you think I always bailed early on our pizza and beer nights?"

Speedle almost laughed when recognition dawned on her face. Jaw dropping open, her eyes widened and her gaze flitted around as she thought back, "You did always leave early," she exclaimed, gazing up at him. "Eric and I did always end up finishing the movies without you."

"Left you two alone with alcohol and hoped for the best, each and every time," he smirked as he shook his head. "But noooo, you two just wouldn't own up to what everyone else saw." His smirk slipped into a full on grin at the look of confusion on her face. "Tyler, Sam, Maria... they all took bets on which one of you would crack first."

Once again, Calleigh did something she'd never done when he was alive. She blushed. "It's funny to see you blush, you know?" Speedle told her, chuckling when the blush deepened.

"Tim," Calleigh admonished lightly, casting her eyes to the white floor, tucking her hair behind her ears. "We just... it wasn't time."

"Hell, Calleigh, even after Delko was shot, when it _was_ time, my plans still didn't work."

At his words, Calleigh's gaze snapped back up to his. "After he was shot? How could you-"

"How do you think Eric's file ended up in your hands that day you were reading Doctor Marsh's files? By the way, Cal... great touch there, I fully approved of that little unethical move."

She rolled her eyes at him, a look he was altogether familiar with. "It may have been unethic... No, wait," she shook her head. "_You _made sure his file ended up in my hands?"

"Mmmmhmmm," he told her with a grin, "It had been in his pile of personal papers to read, but I um..." his grin widened, "I have the power and well, Burnham's file traded places with Eric's."

Calleigh shook her head at him. He was still the Tim Speedle she knew and loved. And the thought of love sobered her, reminded her why she was there with him. And once again her eyes filled as she realized she was dead. "I don't want to be here, I can't be here." She looked around again, panic beginning to set in when all she saw was still the whiteness. "I need to get back to the hospital, Tim... I have to tell Eric I love him."

"Did you not hear me just a little bit ago?" Now it was his turn to roll his eyes at her. "Sunshine... it's not your time, you can still go back."

"But how? I don't know how!" At the nod of his head, she followed his gaze and turned around, finding the hospital room slowly coming back into focus, as if a fog in front of it was slowly abating. As the vision in front of her began to clear, and the whiteness faded away, she turned once more toward Speedle, holding her hand out to him. He grasped her hand in his, and they smiled identical smiles at each other.

"Tell him," Speedle told her as he moved back, as their grip on each other loosened to just their fingers, "your future children will thank you for it."

And suddenly he was gone. There was no more whiteness, only her in the bed surrounded by doctors and nurses, and Horatio in the corner with his arm around a frantically praying Eric. As if in slow motion, Calleigh found herself gliding toward the bed, the sound of the doctor yelling "Clear!" filling her ears just before a flash of light blinded her.

...

Feeling as if she'd been hit by a Mack truck, every muscle within her screaming in soreness and pain, Calleigh shifted slightly as she woke up. Halting any movement she thought of making, she quickly stilled, only allowing herself to open her eyes. With the low light in the room, opening her eyes was a much easier process and she squinted as the ceiling slowly came into focus. Lowering her gaze as she blinked the fogginess away, she opened her eyes fully, taking in the man that slept with his head on her bed, his body sitting upright in the chair placed next to her bed.

She took a few moments to just look at him as she remembered her conversation with Speedle, and she furrowed her brow at the thought that perhaps she'd dreamed it all. Had she? Had everything just been a dream as she'd fought for life? Had she really not followed the team around as they searched for and processed the evidence? She felt a pang of disappointment that perhaps seeing Tim, talking to him, had all been a dream. But out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and turned her head slowly toward the back corner. And there he was. Tim Speedle looking like he had in her dream. He gestured toward Eric, pointed directly at her, then back at Eric, winked, and suddenly he was gone.

Smiling softly she took in Eric's appearance. He was haggard... at least a two-days beard growth adorned his tired and worn features, his shirt was rumpled, and she could have sworn he'd lost weight. Her eyes fell to where one of her hands was clasped between his, laying just under his cheek. Moving her fingers, she was able to grasp a few of his and squeeze lightly.

Eric startled, his head popping up, his worried eyes falling on her. "Calleigh," he breathed, seeing she was awake. He was on his feet immediately, moving to stand closer to her. Her hand still held in one of his, he reached out to caress her cheek with his fingertips. "Do you feel okay? Are you in pain? Do you need me to get a doctor?" The questions quickly fell from his lips, the worry still evident on his face.

She could only smile at his concern, knowing he was worried she might be in pain. "I'm really sore, but I'll be okay, Eric," she soothed, ending with a yawn.

"Get some sleep, Calleigh," he murmured, sliding his fingers over her forehead and into her hair. "But baby, please don't ever do that to me again. I," he paused as emotion choked his voice, "I can't lose you," he ended with a whisper as he bent to place a lingering kiss to her temple.

"Eric-,"

"Sleep honey, please," he pleaded with her, wanting her to rest so that she could heal and be back in his arms again.

"Not before I tell you something," she told him softly, grasping his shirt as best she could in her tired and sore hand, wanting to keep him as close to her as she could.

Trying not to disturb the various lines and tubes leading from her body, Eric settled himself against the side of the bed, propping an elbow next to her head as he continued to soothe her by drawing his fingertips through her hair. "What can't wait?" he whispered.

"I have so much to tell you about who I saw in heaven, at least I think it was heaven," she paused, yawning again, fighting to stay awake because what she had to say was important. "And I'll tell you all that later, but right now I need you to know one thing." Again she paused as her emotions got the better of her again, but stop them she wouldn't. Never again would she hold back her feelings from Eric. Smiling tremulously she held his gaze, "I love you, Eric, so very much." A tear fell from her eye, only to be brushed away by Eric's thumb as he dipped his head to hers and brushed his lips lightly against hers. A deeper kiss would have to wait.

"Calleigh," Eric breathed, his heart soaring at hearing her say what he already knew to be true. "I love you, too."

Despite the declaration of love, the tears continued to fall from Calleigh's eyes. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner and I almost died without you knowing that I love you. Eric, I'm so..."

"Shhhh," Eric soothed, brushing her tears away as he pressed his lips to hers in another lingering kiss. "I've known for a while, baby." He pulled back from her lips and gave her the smile he gave her and her only, the smile that told her in no uncertain terms that she was his, he was hers, and that he loved her dearly. Unable to help himself he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers again... and swallowed her yawn. Chuckling he pulled back, imploring her to sleep, to rest. "We'll talk when you wake up, I promise."

Eric's fingertips moved back to comb through the hair at her temple, soothing her to sleep. And as she drifted off, she remembered Tim's words and smiled, drifting off to sleep with visions of a little girl that had her smile and her green eyes, and Eric's tanned olive skin and beautiful lush lips. _Tell him, your future children will thank you for it._


End file.
